HIGHLIGHTS OF THE LAST WEEK IN FEBRUARY

This week has been another great and fast week. Last weekend the weather was warm and sunny and the kids were able to get the water slide out (bottom picture). Then, we played an intense game of Rugby with the little kids (second photo) and spent some time with little Samkelo (right).

This week I was able to do a lot of reports and get a lot of things done for the social workers. My days start off with a 6:30am run (some days, others I run in the evening), come home and have breakfast and head to the office (a 30 second walk) around 7:45 or 8am. I work the day in the office until around 5 or 5:30. After that I get off of work, I usually run with some of the teenage girls (if i haven't run in the morning). OR the volunteers have started to play some intense pick-up games of soccer with the teenage boys in the sunset. That has been so fun! Yesterday I ran in the morning and then we ended up playing soccer from 6 to 7:30pm! I can barely walk today! It is just bliss, though, running up and down the grass field with the beautiful sunset over the hills, and just playing hard with the kids. It has been a great way to bond with them.
Then, in the evenings, around 8pm, we have different activities like bible study for the teenage girls, our own bible study, cook dinner with kids or with each other, watch movies , or just have dinner together and talk. And then go to bed at 10pm!!!





These kids know how to play! All they need is a piece of cardboard and they are turning it into an amazing toy and traveling to other universes! It is great to see them be so purely children! They don't need anything complicated or high tech. They just love to play! It is great to just sit outside the door of the house that overlooks the field where they are and just watch them.

SOUTH AFRICAN SIGNAGE!


Just wanted to take a moment and share the unusual South African signage. I even saw one sign (and did not have my camera unfortunately!!!) which actually said, "Caution: Chickens working."

You can also meet my roommate, Jess, in the photo with me. She
has been such a blessing as a housemate in our crazy house that constantly has all sorts of things going on! We have weathered the house issues together! This week our refrigerator AND stove broke. It has been a struggle of borrowing various stoves and frigs to make due, not to mention the fact that we constantly have about 10-12 frogs in our house. We have just come to terms with them. We're also getting pretty good at the routine of catching them and flinging them out the front door.

Today is Friday and another week is coming to a close. Time is FLYING by. God is definitely teaching us that He is in control of things. The kids have been struggling with their attitudes and behaviors lately and they were disciplined last week for some things they did. They were really upset about it, but it was very important. But mass discipline was hard work for us and just not the greatest thing for them. It was hard to fully enforce things and many of the good kids had to be in on the discipline as well.
I also see how much they need attention, support, and counseling. The social work department and the volunteers just aren't enough for them all. There is so much that they need that just cannot be given to them. We have felt overwhelmed and our prays in the last few weeks have been that God would come in this situation and be strong in our weakness, that he would change and minister to the kids' hearts in all the situations when we can't.
This week was an amazing change. The kids had great attitudes and we all had really wonderful times connecting with them. They had renewed kindness to us and to each other and some of the older kids felt the need to dedicate their lives to God. It was amazing to see all this happen when we had nothing left to give for 120 kids. I totally understand why it is so important to get kids into foster families now! Mass parenting is not the way to go!

WHAT I APPRECIATE!

I have a deep appreciation for:

1. the volunteers that I work with and the close fellowship we have. Here we are together catching a cheap movie.
2. movie prices! Friday night-$3.50
3. doing the dishes with running water!
4. doing laundry when there is running water and a sunny day!
5. no flies on the road when I go for a run (they often swarm you when you are out on the road).
6. God's grace to do everything that needs to be done everyday.
7. American brewed COFFEE (South African's don't care about coffee)!
8. Daily hugs from the 3-4 year olds as they go to their pre school program.